Mourinho opted for a change in formation with the 3-4-3, introducing Victor Lindelof into the defence; Daley Blind and stand-in captain Ashley Young on the wings; and Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan either side of Lukaku.

In a seamlessly ‘nothing’ area, Moscow’s Schennikov needlessly went to ground on the edge of the box, bringing down the lively Mkhitaryan in the process, for the extra official to award the penalty.

As shambolic as Moscow looked defensively, they showed signs of being an attacking threat, with youngster Chalov forcing De Gea into yet another fine save before the end of the first half.

Following some early second-half pressure from Moscow, Lukaku came close to his hat-trick, sweetly striking a left-footed half-volley on the edge of the area for Akineev to smartly stop and CSKA defender’s managing to clear the rebound.

Cska Moscow did manage to bag themselves a late goal thanks to Kuchaev, drilling in a low angled effort from a lovely Golovin pass, but it proved only to be a mere consolation.